1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for blocking a parking vehicle from leaving, used in a nonattended toll parking lot and, more particularly, to for preventing a parking vehicle from leaving in an unauthorized manner.
2. Background Art
In a nonattended toll parking lot, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, there has heretofore been used a parking apparatus equipped with a parking fee receiving apparatus 1 and a leave-blocking apparatus 3 which locks a parking vehicle by means of a locking board 2.
In the leave-blocking apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 6, the locking board 2 is disposed between the front tires and rear tires of a vehicle which is parking on a parking zone 4. In the leave-blocking apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 7, the locking board 2 is disposed at one end of the parking zone 4, i.e., disposed on the inlet side from where the vehicle comes in and goes out.
These apparatuses have been designed to block the vehicles from leaving by means of the locking board 2 that remains elevated unless a fee is paid for parking the car.
The apparatuses 3 for blocking the parking vehicle from leaving shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 have their merits and demerits. So far, however, the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 has been widely and predominantly used.
The greatest reason is because when the locking board 2 is disposed on the vehicle inlet side of the parking zone 4 as shown in FIG. 7, the driver may overlook the elevated state, i.e., the locked state of the locking board 2; and, accordingly, the driver may try to leave from the parking zone 4 in a state where the locking board 2 is elevated, therefore, much trouble occurs. When the locking board 2 is disposed between the front tires and the rear tires of the vehicle which is parking on the parking zone 4 as shown in FIG. 6, the driver is allowed to easily confirm the elevated state of the locking board 2 that is located near the driver's seat; i.e., the driver is less likely to leave the parking zone 4 in a state where the locking board 2 is elevated. Besides, even when the driver carelessly leaves the parking zone 4 in the state where the locking board 2 is elevated or leaves at a moment when the locking board 2 starts elevated as the time enters into a time for another charge, an elastic tire simply hits the locking board 2 without damaging the vehicle and, hence, causing less trouble.
So far, therefore, the leave-blocking apparatus of the type shown in FIG. 6 has been much used. Accompanying an increase in the number of large four-wheel drive vehicles called RVs (recreational vehicles) in recent years, however, an increasing number of vehicles are trying to leave in an unauthorized manner without paying the fee for the charged time.
The vehicle leaves in an unauthorized manner by treading and pushing down the elevated locking board 2 with the tire or riding over the locking board 2 when it cannot be pushed down. This can be easily done by a vehicle having tires of a large diameter or by a vehicle having a small road clearance for which the locking board is elevated by a limited amount.
The above-mentioned unauthorized leave can be better prevented by the system of FIG. 7 which closes the parking zone itself during the locking time than the system of FIG. 6 of which the locking board 2 is trod by the tires.
As described above, however, the system of FIG. 7 invites the occurrence of trouble, and makes it necessary to increase the depth of the parking zone 4 so that the locking board 2 will not be concealed under the vehicle body. Therefore, this system cannot be installed in a narrow place. In practice, therefore, the system of FIG. 6 has been much employed.